1.e4
e5
2.Sf3
Sc6
3.Lb5
a6
4.La4
Sf6
5.0-0
Le7
6.Te1
b5
7.Lb3
d6
8.c3
0-0
9.h3
Sa5
10.Lc2
c5
11.d4
Dc7
12.a3!?
An early deviation from the well-known paths and a consistent move at the same time; something not really unusual for Morozevich. White prepares to win space on the queen side by means of b4.
12...Ld7
Bruzon continues developing in natural way, relying on the soundness of his position. [The obvious drawback of 12.a3 is that it weakens the b3-square and Black could take advantage of it by blocking the queen side with 12...c4
On the other hand, this certainly looks like a concession with respect to the pressure in the centre. However, Black's accurate maneuvering in the following game determined White block the position with d5 anyway, when play transposed to an entirely viable for Black structure. 13.Sbd2
Te8
14.Sf1
Lf8
15.Lg5
Sd7
16.Sg3
Sc6
17.Dd2
Sd8
18.Tad1
Se6
19.Le3
f6
A perfect square for the knight. It keps an eye on the f4-square, inhibiting the opening of the king side by means of f4 and is ready to jump to c5 if attacked with d5. 20.Sf5
Sb6
21.Sh2
Lb7
22.Sg4
Tad8
Finally, the pressure of the blackpieces has become so strong that, fearing the central break ...d5, White decides to prevent it in radical way. 23.d5
Sc5
24.f4~~
1/2-1/2 Ciocaltea,V-Bisguier,A/Caracas 1970/MCD (65)]
13.b4
[The more restratined 13.b3
is also possible. Having taken the c4- and b4-squares under control and cleared the a2-square for the rook, White induces some differences compared to the classical lines based on ...Ld7. 13...Tfe8
(For instance, after the standard moves 13...cxd4
14.cxd4
Tac8
he can defend the bishop by developing a piece at the same time with 15.Ta2!?
while 15...Sc6
can be met by 16.d5
when the knight has not the plan ...Sb4, ...a5, ...Sa6 at his disposal, being more or less forced to return to a5.) 14.Sbd2
Lf8
15.d5
g6
Black invests some time in regrouping with his bishop, but the higher emergency seems to be the recycling the a5-knight. (15...c4
16.b4
Sb7
17.a4
a5
18.Sf1
Teb8
19.Sg3
Sd8
20.Sh2
Se8
/\f6, g6, Sg7, Sf7, with a harmonious placement of pieces.) 16.Sf1
Lg7
17.Sg3
c4
18.b4
Sb7
19.Le3
a5
20.Dd2
(White should not leave to his opponent free hands on the queen side. 20.a4!
would have kept the counterplay under control, while the problem of the b7-knight would be not solved yet, because the double exchange of pawns on the queen side would still leave White with a pawn on b4.) 20...Ta6
21.Sh4
Tea8<=>
Now, Black has obtained strong pressure along the a-file, which restricts White's active possibilities on the other wing, 1/2-1/2 Ljubojevic,L (2565)-Ivkov,B (2520)/Manila 1973/EXT 98 (35)]
13...cxb4
[This exchange allows White capture towards the centre, increasing his influence in that area of the board, but the immediate 13...Sc4
would allow 14.bxc5
dxc5
15.dxe5
Sxe5
16.Sxe5
Dxe5
17.f4
with even stronger initiative in the centre.]
14.axb4
Sc4
15.Sbd2
Sb6
It appears that White does not enjoy absolute stability on the c4-square. [The immediate opening of the queen side by means of 15...a5
would leave White with the upper hand after 16.Sxc4
Dxc4
(Possibly, Black should just forget about maintaining piece control of this square and accept a slightly worse but solid position after 16...bxc4
17.La3+/=
) 17.bxa5!
Dxc3
18.Ld2
Dc7
19.Lb4+/=
with strong pressure.]
16.Ta3
Tfc8
17.Lb2
a5
By putting pressure on the c3-pawn, Black has determined his opponent place his queen's rook and bishop on slightly unnatural squares. Bruzon tries to take advantage of this by active play. However, the opening of the position in the immediate neighbourhood of these pieces will help White improve their situation, by exchanging the rook in order to clear a better square for the bishop. Moreover, the complications initiated by his last move are difficult to control and evaluate. [A more static approach based on the increase of the control over the relatively weak c4-square would have had more chances for equality. 17...Le6!?
planning the return of the knight to c4 would be well suited for this purpose, since the apparently disturbing 18.Sg5
is connected with the loss of a pawn after 18...exd4
for instance 19.Sxe6
fxe6
20.Lb3
d5
]
18.Txa5
Txa5
19.bxa5
Sa4
20.Lxa4
bxa4
Black might have hoped that he would recuperate the sacrificed pawn soon, when his well defended a4-pawn would supposedly offer him good play, but things are by far not that easy.
21.La3!
A perfect square for the bishop. It blocks the enemy pawn and puts pressure along the a3-f8 diagonal.
21...Dxc3
Practically forced. Otherwise, White would consolidate his position with Lb4.
22.Sb1?!
But this move looks too passive. [22.Te3!
looks like a better chance for an advantage: 22...Dxa5
23.dxe5
Se8
24.Sf1!
and the pin along the d-file will soon cost Black the d6-pawn. (By refraining from defending the bishop by means of the rook lift, Morozevich might have feared to weaken his back rank, which would have been a telling factor in the following variation 24.exd6
Lxd6
25.Lxd6
Sxd6
26.Td3
Da6
27.Sf1
Tc1!
28.Txd6
Txd1
29.Txa6
Txf1+!=
) ]
22...Dc6!
The correct retreat. Black puts the e4-pawn under pressure, thus taking advantage of the passive character of White's previous move. Capturing the a5-pawn would have allowed White create a strong pair of connected pawns y means of dxe5xd6 and e5.
23.dxe5
Sxe4
24.exd6
Lf6
25.Dd3
The first wave of complications has passed and time has come to draw some conclusions. White has retained a small material advantage and his passed pawns keep Black under permanent pressure. However, the presence of the d6-pawn can have a double edged influence over the course of the game. Instead of trying to capture it and get under unpleasant pins, Black can use it as a shelter for his bishops. Besides, the passivity of his b1-knight considerably restricts his chances for an advantage, especially that Black's pieces are very active.
25...Sc5
The knight is aiming for the more stable b3-square. [The attempt to consolidate it with 25...Lf5?
would fail painfully to 26.Sfd2
Sxd2
27.Dxf5!
when the strength of the d-pawn is illustrated by the variation 27...Sxb1
28.d7
Td8
29.Dd5!+-
]
26.De3
Sb3
27.Sbd2
Te8
28.Se4
Ld8
White has managed to activate his knight, but his a5-pawn is in danger. Besides, the pin along the e-file is rather annoying.
29.Sd4
Sxd4?!
The exchange of this knight that has consumed 4 tempi to reach an active and stable square is an obvious concession. [Black should have maintained the tension with 29...Dd5
when after 30.Sxb3
Dxb3
31.Dxb3
axb3
it is a good moment to recall Nimzovitsch' recomendation according to which an outpost on an open line should be converted into a passed pawn. It is easy to notice that the white bishop would lose part of its efficiency, since it would have to split his efforts on two diagonals already. Bruzon might have feared that after 32.a6
he would have problems control both enemy pawns. If this is true, he must have underestimated the threats he could create against the enemy king starting with 32...Lb6!
(32...f5?
33.a7
Lc6
34.Sf6+!+-
; 32...Lc6?
33.Tc1
Lxe4
34.d7+-
) 33.Tb1
Txe4
34.Txb3
Ld4
However, 35.Lb2
(The point behind Black's 32nd move is that after 35.Tb7?
Te1+
(But not 35...Lc6?
when the calm 36.Kf1!!+/-
prevents the attack and leaves Black with problems fighting against the far advanced pawns; most likely, he would have to give up a rook for them, which would hardly save the game.) 36.Kh2
Lc6-/+
and White has no time to continue advancing his pawns because of the threat ...Le5+ followed by mate on h1.) 35...Lc5
36.Tb8+
Te8
37.a7
seems to save the day for WHite: 37...Lxa7
38.Tb7
Te1+
39.Kh2
Lxf2
40.Txd7
f6=
with a probable draw.]
30.Dxd4
As a consequence of Black's mistake, the queen has been centralized, keeping both enemy wings under pressure. One natural question is whether there is anything interesting left on the black queen side; the answer is given by the first line given in the comments to Black's 31st move.
30...f6
Not a very aesthetical move, but Black wants to make the threat against the a5-pawn real. [30...Lxa5?
would lose to 31.Lb2
f6
32.Sxf6+!
which gladly gives up a knight and a rook in order to create decisive threats: 32...gxf6
33.Dxf6
Txe1+
34.Kh2+-
]
31.Te3
Although with some delay, White reaches a perfect coordination of forces. The rook defends the bishop and is ready to create king side threats. After the exchange of one pair of knights, the bishop has increased his strength. Besides blocking the enemy pawn and defending the own, it can eventually offer reliable support to the own pieces, especially on the c3- and c5-squares.
31...Lxa5
This long awaited capture offers White the possibility of obtaining a very strong attack. Since Black's regroupment can be considered to a certain extent optimal (giving the circumstances, of course), the only reasonable alternative would consist of the activation of the rook along the e-file. [31...Te6
can be strongly met by 32.Da7!+/-
when 32...f5
(32...Txe4
33.Txe4
Dxe4
34.Dxd7+-
) allows White display impressive piece activity with 33.Tc3
Db5
34.Tc5
Db1+
35.Tc1
Db5
36.Sc3
Dc6
37.Se2
Db5
38.Sd4+-
Being restrained to the short b5-c6 diagonal in order to keep the bishop defended, the queen has been submitted to 6 consecutive attacks, finally leading to material losses.; 31...Te5
32.Sc5
Td5
33.Dc4
Kh8
34.De2+-
reveals the main deffect of the black rook's activation: the weakness of the back rank.]
32.Sxf6+!
According to the classical precepts, the logical conclusion of a strategically well-conducted game is a sacrificial mating attack. This does not mean that Black is lost already, but the degree of difficulty of his defensive problems is abruptly increased now. White could not delay the moment of this action, since on the next move Black could return with the bishop to d8 and safely defend his king side.
32...gxf6
33.Tg3+
Kf7
34.Dh4
Quiet moves are always difficult to meet when being submitted to a dangerous attack. The defending part faces not only a wide choice of moves, but also the difficult task to understand which threats are real and which just illusory.
34...Te1+
[When watching this game live on my mobile phone, the first defence I could spot for Black was 34...Lc3!?
. Black not only removes the bishop from an exposed square, but also defends the important f6-square and enables using the bishop as a shelter for the king. The first reaction of Fritz 9 is that Black is completely lost, but this must be caused only by the "horizon effect"; things are not that clear in fact. Indeed, after 35.Dxh7+
(35.Dh5+
is more or less similar, so that White should grab a pawn on the way.) 35...Ke6
36.Te3+
Le5
(But not 36...Kd5?
when with a series of accurate checks White can win the c3-bishop: 37.Dh5+
Te5
38.Df3+!+-
) 37.f4
White wins back the bishop, but Black can repel the first wave of attack and try taking advantage of the weakened position of the enemy king induced by the last move: 37...Db6
38.Kf2
(After 38.Dd3
Kf7
39.fxe5
Txe5
it is not easy to defend the rook, preserve the minimal material advantage, prevent the enemy a-pawn from advancing and avoid the perpetual check at the same time. It would be too much! For instance: 40.Lc1
Dc5
41.Ld2
Ke6
42.Kh2
Dxd6=
) 38...Dd4
39.fxe5
Df4+
40.Tf3
Dd4+
41.Kg3
Dxe5+
and Black has every chance to make a draw.]
35.Kh2
De4?
This centralization of the queen parries White's main king side threats, but loses the bishop without managing to generate adequate counterplay. [Now that the white king has been removed from the g1-a7 diagonal, 35...Lc3
is not entirely adequate any more. White could play 36.Dxh7+
Ke6
37.f4!?
(The point behind this move is not only to take an important square around the black king under control, but also to cover the h2-b8 diagonal. The immediate 37.Tg7?
is bad in view of 37...Le5+!
; However, Fritz' suggestion 37.De7+
Kf5
38.Df7
looks also dangerous for Black.) 37...Kd5
(37...f5
38.Dg8+
Kf6
39.Tg6#
; 37...Ld4
38.De7++-
; 37...Db6
38.De7+
Kd5
39.Td3+
Kc4
40.Txc3+
Kxc3
41.Dxe1++-
; 37...Le8
38.Tg7
Dc4
39.Dg8++-
) 38.Df7+
Le6
39.Dh5+
f5
40.Df3+
Te4
41.Dxc3+/-
Dxc3
42.Txc3
Black faces a joyless defence with two pawns down, because 42...Txf4?
loses to 43.Tc5+!
Kd4
44.Tc7+-
; Black's last chance for survival consisted of 35...Lf5!
, covering more or less the same squares as the game move and indirectly defending his colleague by obstructing the fifth rank at the same time. For instance: 36.Dh5+
Ke6
37.Tg7
Ld8
38.Df7+
Ke5
39.Tg8
Lg6
40.Da7
Db6
41.Dxa4
Dxf2+/=
The maximum what White could achieve is to exchange queens and then capture the d8-bishop, but with the black king close to the passed d-pawn, Black should be entitled to hope for a draw.]
36.Dh5+
Ke6
37.Dxa5+-
Db1
38.Tg7
Th1+
39.Kg3
Dd3+
40.f3
Black's counterplay has extinguished rather quickly and the black king is helpless now.
40...Db5
41.Te7+
Kf5
42.Dc7
Over-attacking the bishop that is not only blocking the enemy pawn but also covering two essential diagonals. [42.Dc7
Lc6
(42...Le6
shortens the line by one move in view of 43.Dc2+
) 43.Dc8+
Ld7
44.Dc2+
with mate to follow soon.] 1-0